Friday, June 26, 2009

BBQ Sammich & Tater Salad

I've been working on my recipe for vegan barbecue for months. I knew I MUST include a barbecue sandwich in my cookbook since pulled pork sandwiches are such a big thing down here. Even though pulled pork is nasty, I wanted something that would simulate that meaty texture. I've tried seitan (too chewy), tofu (not chewy enough), and finally a tempeh/shredded carrot combo (perfect!).

The tempeh has a bit of a chewy texture, but not as much as the seitan did. When I tried this with seitan, it was like eating bread with a bread bun — way too chewy! I added grated carrot to the tempeh for more of a "pulled pork" look and some extra veggie nutrients.

The Poppy Seed Coleslaw recipe is also going in the cookbook. It's vegan mayo-based because that's what I like, but I'm sure a fat-free vegan mayo would work for the calorie-conscious (there's also a homemade tofu mayo recipe in my cookbook for those who prefer DIY).

The whole wheat buns are from Jessy's recipe. These are Dee-licious, but as you can see, mine didn't rise properly, Instead of rising up, they flattened out. But they were still tasty. It's not the recipe's fault though — I subbed all whole wheat pastry flour for some of the white flour in Jessy's recipe, so I'm sure that's the problem. Hers always look perfect!

On the side, I made the Creamy Avocado Potato Salad from Vegan Brunch:

Since I'm a huge guacamole fan, this stuff was awesome! But I did have to add a whole bunch more salt and some garlic powder to bring it up to par.

The recipe in VB serves four, but I didn't want the avocado to turn brown in my leftovers. So I cooked the whole recipe for potatoes and placed them in a bowl in the fridge, un-dressed. Then as I've been eating this each day, I mush up half an avocado with the other spices and some cherry tomato and mix with one serving of the potatoes. It's a good way to make a recipe like this for one person.

And you EVEN made your own BUNS!! You are the MASTER! Great idea to put shredded carrots in the non-meat. I bet it adds the perfect sweetness! -AP.S. I agree with Shenandoah Vegan. OPEN A RESTAURANT!!!

I agree with you, pulled pork sounds nasty. But your sandwich looks great. I need to cook with tempeh more often. You are definitely inspiring me. And that totato salad is another recipe I need to try from VB.

Bianca, you MUST be a mind reader or something! seriously! dan and i were talking just yesterday about the omni dishes we miss and bbq was one of my top 5. i was sadfaced because most of the bbq recipes i've seen around use seitan, and me and wheat gluten have had to break up. ;) i cannot wait to test out your bbq! not only does it look amazing, but it sounds absolutely scrumptious! i loooove the idea of adding in some carrots, too!

slaw on top - just as it should be. hellz yeah! i love me a mayo based slaw, and the creamy avocado potato salad!?! it's just too much gloriousness on a plate! mmmmmmmm!

You know, I have found that whole wheat pastry flour does not interact well with yeast. It says on the bag I have that it's great for baked goods made with baking powder - which I think means it's not really made to go with yeast?? I could be wrong, but every time I've tried to make a pizza dough or buns with WWPF, it ends up suuuuuuper flat!

Your sandwich looks amazing, though! Is your cookbook going to be self-published, or what's going on with that? And when can I buy a copy?!

My name is Bianca ...

About Me

I'm a 9-year vegan, 19-year vegetarian from the Mid-South, not too far from the muddy banks of the Mississippi River. And that means cornbread, butter beans, and collard greens.
These days, I live in Memphis. Check out my cookbook — Cookin' Crunk. It's filled with yummilicious veganized soul food and country classics.